“I love cauliflower
And have no shame,
The fragrance itself
Makes me insane,
So I go around creating
Versions of it,
That may be simple
But take some wit,
Bake or broil
Grate or fry,
The nutty aroma
Makes me fly,
And these slices of envy
Fresh with a fact,
Are totally breadless
Didn’t I tell you that?”
Don't get me wrong. I love bread. Heck, I adore it. But when something breadless tastes as good as this, I'm sold.
I had a bowl of masala gobi (cauliflower) in the fridge and I didn't feel like having the usual i.e. with roti, in pasta or even on its own with some fresh salad leaves. And it is too tasty and precious to waste, so me being me, I had to come up with a new recipe. These 'pizza' slices turned out better than expected, and were really easy! (not to mention healthy). Give it a try and let me know what you think?
Ingredients
For the masala cauliflower
¼ cauliflower, grated (approx 150gm)
½ red pepper, finely chopped
½ onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
For the 'pizza'
1 egg, slightly beaten (substitute with 2 tablespoons flour/gram flour for an eggless version)
1 stalk of spring onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh coriander, finely chopped + more for garnish
1 teaspoon paprika
½ cup grated fresh cottage cheese (paneer) or mozzarella
6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
Make the cauliflower
Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the cumin seeds and cook till they begin to brown. Add the onion, garlic & ginger and cook till the onion turns translucent and begins to brown. Add the cauliflower, along with the remaining ingredients and ½ cup water. Cover and cook till cauliflower is tender. Turn heat to high and sauté till all the liquid has been absorbed and the cauliflower starts to brown. Keep aside and cool to room temperature
Make the pizza
In a bowl, mix the masala cauliflower with all the ‘other’ ingredients. Transfer to a baking dish and spread evenly about ¾ - 1 inch thick. Bake for 30-40 minutes in a 350 F oven, till the edges turn brown and crisp. Turn to broil and leave for another 15 minutes till the top is golden brown.
Sprinkle with coriander and oregano. Cut into wedges and serve. The breadsticks turn crisper as they cool, so this can be eaten hot or cold.
